Starting-switch.



No. 638,||0. Patented Nov. 28, I899. J. W. GIBBS. STARTING SWITCH.

(Application filed July 8, 1899.)

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(Applicltion filed July 8, 1899.)

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N0. 638,|l0. Patented Nov. 28, 1899i J. W. GIBBS.

STARTING SWITCH.

(Application filed July 8, 1899.) (No'ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WALTER GIBBS, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

STARTlNG-SWlTGl-l.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 638,110, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed July 3, 1899. Serial No. 722,702. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WALTER GIBBS, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing in Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of starting-switches for electromotors in which the motor is set into motion before the full electric potential is supplied to it, thus avoiding injury to the apparatus, which would be liable to occur if a high electric potential were supplied at the outset.

The invention will be understood from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a starting-switch with my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a back View, and Fig. 3 a cross-section.

In the drawings, A is a casing, B a slate foundation, and O a double-pole quick-break switch of the usual type mounted thereon.

D is a tongue or projection carried by the double-pole switch and moving therewith and forming part of an interlocking gear, the other part consisting of a rotatable shield or disk E of the resistance-switch F. This shield or disk E is formed with a recess or slot G, which when in one position-that is, when the full resistance is in circuit, as shown in Fig. 1allows of the movement of the tongue D by means of the handle II when putting on or taking off the current; but when the disk is rotated by means of the resistance-switch handle the tongue D when the current is on is prevented from rising or, in other words, is locked by the overhanging portion E of the disk E.

J is a resistance-contact or switch-arm, and K a series of contact-studs, K being the highest-resistance contact, the others being gradually reduced down to K which is the lowest resistance.

L is an ordinary hour-and-minute gear to control the speed at which the resistancecon tacts are out out.

0 are springs which are used. on all doublepole quick-break switches of this type.

P is a strip of brass or other suitable substance moving with the handle H, so as to close the slot or opening Q for the handle II in the cover or casing A when the current is on.

S is a bridge covering the contact-studs K. The switch-arm J aforesaidis loosely mounted on its spindle or axis T, and U is an auxiliary arm or follower mounted and fixed to the said spindle, on the end of which the ratchetwheel V is fixed. This auxiliary arm or follower U is located in the same plane as the switch-arm J and slightly in advance of the latter.

X is an electromagnet, andYa pawl adapted to engage in the ratchet-wheel V. So long, therefore, as this magnet is supplied with current the pawl (by means of its armature Y being attracted by the magnet) is kept in engagement with the ratchet-wheel.

Z is a spring which is wound up on the operation of moving the follower U forward, but which forces the follower back to the zero position immediately the pawl releases the ratchet-wheel on a failure of the supply of current.

The mode of operation is as follows: To turn on the current, the handle H of the double-pole switch 0 is moved into the position shown in Fig. 3; but this is possible only when the recess or slot G of the interlocking shield E is opposite the tongue D of the doublepole switch 0 and the resistance-switch or switch-arm J is in the position shown in Fig. 1-that is, in contact with the highest-resistance stud K. The current being on, the switcharm J can be turned by means of handle J, so as to switch out one contact after another until it reaches the lowest resistance K In thus moving the switch-arm over the contact-studs to cut out the resistances one by one it will at the same time push the follower .U before it and so rotate the spindle T and its ratchetwheel V, which latter, engaging with the armature-pawl Y, prevents the follower U returning so long as there is no failure in the supply of current sufficient to cause the eleotromagnet X to cease to attract its armature Y. During this forward movement of the switch-arm J and follower U the tongue or projection D is held locked by the overhanging portion E of the shield or disk E, which slides over it, so that current cannot be taken off until the contact-arm J has ICO been returned to the highest-resistance contact K and the recess or slot G brought opposite the tongue D. The switch-arm, however, being separate from the follower U, can be turned back by hand over the contacts K, so as to vary theresistance as required. This is a very important point, as I am thus able to increase or decrease the potential of the current, and consequently the speed of the motor, at pleasure. Should, however, there be a failure in the supply of current and the electromagnet X be no longer energized, the ratchet-wheel V will be at once released from the pawl. In such case the pawl will no longer be kept in gear with the ratchet-wheel, which latter will thus be instantly released automatically, and the follower at once flies back by the agency of the spring Z, said follower automatically pushing back the switch-ar to the zero position.

I declare that what I claim is 1. In a starting-switch of the kind described the combination of a switch-arm mounted loosely on its spindle or axis and capable of being traveled over a series of resistance-contacts varying from highest to lowest resistance, a separate arm or follower mounted and fixed to the said spindle or axis immediately in advance of, but separate from the switcharm, so that it will be pushed forward by the latter, and means for locking said follower when pushed forward so that it cannot be returned until automatically returned by a failure in the supply of current, leaving however the switch-arm free to be turned back by hand over the contacts to vary the resistance as required.

2. In starting-switches in which the potelr tial of the current is gradually increased by moving the switch-arm over resistance-com tacts varying from the highest to the lowest resistance, the combination of the switch-arm mounted loosely on its spindle or axis, and capable of being traveled over a series of resistance-contacts varying from highest to lowest resistance, a separate arm or follower mounted and fixed to said spindle or axis immediately in advance of but separate from the switch-arm so that it will be pushed forward by the latter, a ratchet-wheel V secured to the end of said spindle, an electromagnet X, and a pawl Y with armature Y capable of engaging the ratchet-wheel, whereby so long as the magnet is supplied with current the pawl by means of its armature being attracted by the magnet is kept in engagement with the ratchet-wheel, thus looking the follower, but immediately a failure in the supply of current takes place the follower will force back the switch-arm to the point of highest resistance substantially as set forth. In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 23d day of June, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J. lVALTER GIBBS. Witnesses:

CHARLES CoLLINs, W. 11. BEESTON. 

